I can't believe it's been since February that I last posted! So much has happened since then.

I'm now officially finished with school. I am starting an 8-week internship with a company called AccuScribe today.

We just got back from Myrtle Beach last night. What a great vacation! The place we stayed was wonderful, and it was only 2 blocks from the beach! We took the kids to Medieval Times, and they absolutely loved it!

The kids will be starting school in about 12 days. They are starting to get stir crazy. It has been so hot outside that all they want to do is stay in and play games. Which, of course, leads to strife because eventually someone does something someone else doesn't like.

Rachel is extremely excited about middle school. She has had all her supplies packed up and ready for the last month. The boys, on the other hand, would stay home from school forever. Is that a momma's-boy thing, or just a dislike of school? Hmmm... not sure about that one.

Either way, I'm kind of excited about them going back to school. I realized recently that Matthew will be in school as long as Rachel and Robby this year! It was a shock to my system. The fact that I won't have to drop everything and go get him by 1pm is a whole new concept to me! So, it's really a perfect time for me to start working. I will be able to finish work before they get home from school! How wonderful!

Dad and Uncle Bill

Last night, we had a party at my house, celebrating the fact that my Dad and my Uncle Bill retired from SRS! YES!!!
I am so happy for them! Since Dad made the decision to take the retirement package, he has been sleeping better, has better color, and I haven't seen him smile this much in a long time!
What's really awesome is that all of their old friends came to the party, even "Uncle" George, all the way from Orlando. I haven't seen him since I was a child. He hasn't changed a bit! The old gang was together again: Bill, Tony, George, George, David, and Tom. They have known each other since first grade, and have stayed in touch all these years.
I think Dad and Uncle Bill were very pleased with the party. They had some stories told on them, which was hysterical, and my Aunt Judy made a huge cake with Dad and Uncle Bill in a canoe on it. With Mom and Aunt Sandy in charge, there was enough food to feed the military. My table quite literally overflowed, and we discovered at the end of the party that we had forgotten to put something out!
Good food, good wine, lots of laughs, and a house full of family and friends. Such a blessed night!

Magdalena Grace

A precious little life has ended. Yesterday morning, Magdalena Grace Roberts left this world to be with Jesus. Although I knew this day would come, some part of me really hoped that God would choose to heal her completely. After all, He can do whatever He wants, right? What a miracle that would be! But Magdalena was a miracle in herself, and God did choose to heal her, just not in the way I would have chosen.
It's funny how attached you can get to someone you don't even know. Even though I never met her in person, reading about Magdalena's precious life has brought her into my heart just as surely as seeing her would. My heart aches for Noah and Julie, and I will miss their sweet baby girl.
Please pray for them. They are such and amazing couple, and their love of Magdalena is outweighed only by their love for Christ. www.noahandjulieroberts.blogspot.com

So Proud!

I am so proud of my children! They got their report cards yesterday, and they all did very well. Rachel and Robby both improved in subjects they have struggled in. Rachel actually got an average of 100 in history and geography this time around! Matthew is displaying more self-control (thank God)! And Robby, who has been working so very hard, has improved his reading grade greatly! Good job kiddos! I'm so very proud of you and all your hard work! I love you!

Sick Boy

I found out yesterday that Matthew has pneumonia. I feel so bad about it. He's had a fever off and on since Tuesday, but it never seemed significant enough to take him in. Until Saturday. He developed a cough that sounds really bad, and his fever spiked to 102. I was on a retreat, and didn't know how bad he was until I got home Sat. night. I took him in on Sunday, and this is the result.
The little jewels of my day were the pediatrician's office that was open on Sunday, and the 24 hour pharmacy. I was able to get him a prescription that appears to have fixed him right up. His fever is gone, along with his congestion. His cough is still pretty bad, but is much better than yesterday. He should even be able to go to school tomorrow!
Thank you, Lord, for my precious boy, and for the wonderful people who helped me take care of him.

Wonderful weekend

We did go to Glen Cove. It was a nice, relaxing time, and it wasn't even that cold inside the cabin, once Daddy got the fires going. Mom put a heated mattress pad on my bed, and, as I promised John I would, I wore a scarf the whole weekend. I was able to relax and recuperate.
We did go a few places, like flea markets, and Wayah Bald, and we ate those yummy hot dogs at the Clayton Pharmacy. But for the most part, we stayed around the cabin. We watched movies, I cross-stitched, and talked with Mom and Dad and their next door neighbors who came for the weekend.
Robby had a great time with Adam, his captive audience for the weekend. Adam is the 16 year old son of the neighbors. He is a very nice boy, an only child, and he treats my kids like they are big too. They love him! Robby thoroughly enjoyed showing Adam all around Glen Cove.
As for me, I'm still coughing, and the cough causes me to have a headache, but otherwise, I'm much better. Thank God!
Mom and Dad are up at Glen Cove by themselves until this weekend. What a shame! I would still be there with them if I could! I love it there. Time there is a gift that God has given my parents, and they choose to share it with us. Each opportunity to go there is another little jewel from heaven.

Struggling

I don't want to write about negative things. But I guess this is more of a prayer request than being negative. There has been so much going on, and I have been feeling a little overwhelmed.
I'm still looking for a job. I've sent out resumes and gotten no response. Not sure what to think of that, but I know God is in control, and has one out there for me somewhere.
I found out that my Dad may have some health issues, pretty significant ones, and they are waiting a month to test him again. Please pray that it turns out to be nothing.
I woke up last Thursday with a cold. Started my day, as usual, had a doctor's appt., and on the way home, ran over a kitten. This upset me greatly, and I went back to try to help it, but it died. Other things happened that day that I won't go into, but let me just say my day did not improve. Then I got a fever.
I slept in a recliner all day Friday, all day Saturday, and all day Sunday. The fever finally broke Monday morning, and I started to feel much better. I actually had some energy, and my wonderful Mom took me shopping to get some much needed food in my house.
Tuesday, I woke up feeling really horrible again, and had a really bad cough. On the spur of the moment, after taking the kids to school, I decided to go to the doctor. He says my lungs are clear, and there is no immediate evidence of an infection, but he's treating it like an infection since I've been so sick for so long. So now, I'm on a Z-pack, Allegra, and cough syrup with codeine.
Today, I am some improved, but not as much as I would like. I still don't have much of a voice, and a pretty strong cough. My prayer is that I will be much better by Friday morning.
We are supposed to go to Glen Cove this weekend, and I want to go SOOO bad. But there's no heat. And I'm afraid I will get worse again if I go. My Mom says she will make me a bed with a heating blanket and I can stay in it all weekend and rest if I want to.
I really don't want to disappoint my kids again. I feel like there have been so many things they have asked me about in the past week that I haven't been able to do, or let them do, because I'm sick. They really look forward to any time spent at Glen Cove, as do I. Please pray that I will be better, that we can go, and that it will be a fun, relaxing time.